turkey
n.— «The country’s major environmental groups Monday declared open season on a $112 million Oklahoma water project they say is one of 12 “Turkeys of the Year” that should be bagged by Congress.» —“Skiatook Project Labeled One of 12 Turkeys of the Year” by Denise Gamino Daily Oklahoman Nov. 23, 1982. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Joe from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, asks about pony, the term he and his fellow maritime academy students used to mean “a practice test” or “a copy of a previous test” to help them crib for an exam. Among 19th-century British students, the slang term...
You know the expression fly in the ointment: It’s that glaring typo on an impressive resume or that first scratch on a brand-new car—the one little flaw that spoils it all. This phrase goes all the way back to the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes! And...